Heat-exchange apparatus



March 13, 1928. 1,662,143

C. F. BRAUN HEAT EXCHANGE APPARATUS Filed March 28, 1923 I j iig a R IN V EN TOR. CARL. [51mm ATTOR EYS.

Patented Mar. 13, 1 928.

CARL F. BRAU'N, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS.

Application filed March 28, 1923. Serial No. 628,187.

This invention relates to a heat exchanger, and particularly pertains to a device through which fluids may be circulated, during which time changes in their temperature will be brought about.

In experimental study and in practice it has been determined that the exchange of heat from a fluid to a cooling surface will be greatly increased over ordinary methods of heat transfer by creating a high degree of turbulence in the fluid which is to be cooled, and it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a structure which will insure that there will be imparted to the fluid to be cooled a turbulent action which will cause the fluid to be recurrently directed towards or against cooling surface while in a condition of turbulence, and under which conditions a rapid and desirable ex change of heat will be brought about.

The present invention contemplates the use of a chamber through which a fluid to be cooled must pass, and within which cooling surface 'is placed, said chamber being equipped with means whereby the fluid to be cooled will be recurrently directed toward the co'oling surface during its passage through the device.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section through a heat exchanger embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section through the heat exchanger as seen on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one of the turbulence plates, and further indicating an ar rangement of cooling surface.

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section similar to Fig. 2, showing other means by which turbulence may be imparted to the fluid to be cooled.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in transverse section through certain of the cooling tubes and indicates a fragmentary portion of a turbulence plate further disclosing the turbulent action of the fluid as it flows through the plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates the shell of a heat exchanger. This shell is here shown as be ng substantially rectangular in plan section, thus having straight side Walls between which cooling pipes 11 may be disposed. It will be understood that the cooling pipes will be arranged in superposed sets of parallel rows which pass through the opposite side walls and permit a circulation of a cooling fluid to be made through the successive rows of pipes. This circulation takes place through by-pass compartments 12, which are formed on the sides of the heat exchangers through which the cooling tubes extend. The compartments are divided by transverse walls 13, thus insuring that the cooling fluid will alternately circulate through the tubes from an inlet pipe 14 to an outlet pipe 15. It will therefore be evident that the cooling fluid. as here shown, has a flow in a downward direction. The chamber 11 which is inclosed by the shell 10, and within which the cooling tubes are disposed, is designed to receive a flow of a. liquid to be cooled through a pipe 16 and to pass out from the chamber through the outlet 17 at the top of the shell. 1

As before stated, it is desirable to set up as great a turbulent action in the fluid to be cooled as possibly can be done while the fluid flows through the chamber 11. In practice it has been found that the greater the turbulent action of the fluid in the presence of a cooling medium or surface, the greater will be the heat transfer action. This turbulence in the present instance is created by successively increasing the velocity of the fluid to be cooled and interrupting this increased velocity by decreased velocity. This may be manifestly done by various means, two examples of which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing it will be noted that a transverse plate 18 is provided and is formed with a plurality'of openings 19' through which the fluid may flow and by which increased velocity flow will be brought about when the fluid passes through a plate, and as the fluid flows out into the space between two adjacent turbulence plates the velocity will abruptly decrease, thus causing the turbulent action of the fluid. Due to the fact that the turbulence plate is provided with a plurality of perforations systematically arranged over its entire area, it will be evident that all of the fluid passing through the plate will be in a highly turbulent condition as it passes against and around the cooling surface between adjacent turbulence plates.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 3 an arrangment of bars is provided for use instead of turbulence plates 18, previously described. These bars may be disposed adjacent each other in lattice t'ashiong or, if desired. may be spaced slightly from each other while being arranged lattice-like to break up the flow ot' fluid restricted while increasing its velocity, and thereafter direct the fluid toward and again t the cooling surface interposed between sets of bars.

in operation of the present invention a cooling fluid is delivered to the heat exchanger through the inlet pipe ll and thereafter flows alternately across the exchanger as it passes to the bottom of the exchanger and the outlet pipe 15. This flow is, of course, deflected through the pipes by the transverse partition walls 13. At the same time a fluid to be cooled, such, for example, as an oil, is caused to flow into the chamber 11 of the heat exchanger through an inlet opening 16 and to pass upwardly through the chamber 11 and out throu 'h the outlet pasageway 17. During this ow the fluid to be cooled will successively and alternately pass through or around means for producingturbulence, such as the turbulence plates 18 or the bars 19 and around or against the cooling surfaces, such as the tubes 17. It will be understood, however, that the cooling surfaces may be in other form than the cylindrical tubes here disclosed, and that in any event the fluid to be cooled will be 7 brought into intimate contact with this surface.

As the fluid passes through the openings formed by the intersecting bars 20 01' the perforations in the plates 18, the velocity flow of the fluid will be increased. The unrestricted flow of fluid between the means for creatin the increased velocity flow will cause the fliiid to become highly turbulent, and to thus fiow against the cooling surface in a manner to produce a high exchange of heat from the fluid to be cooled to the surface. This turbulent action will be recurrent throughout the flow of the fluid from the inlet ipe 16 to the outlet pipe 17 and will there y insure that a high degree of heat exchange will take place. 4

Attention is also directed to the fact that in the operation of heat exchangers the and around the'cooling surfaces this deposit of solid matter will be-retardcd and to a great extent prevented.

It will thus be seen that by the method -"and means here shown a rapid and eflicient exchange of heatmay be brought about from a fluid to a cooling medium and that this will take place in a manner to insure the continuous maximum operation of the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Heat exchange apparatus, comprising a shell. a plurality of tubes arranged in parallel within the shell,- by-pass chambers at the opposite ends of the shell with which sets of the tubes communicate whereby a. fluid may recurrently flow across the shell, through the tubes, and in alternate directions, means for admitting another fluid to the shell at one end and withdrawing it from the opposite end of the shell whereby the flow of fluid through the shell will be around the tubes and len thwise of the shell, and means interposed between groups of tubes for alternately increasing and then abruptly decreasing the velocity flow of the fluid as it passes through the shell and around the tubes.

2. A heat exchanger comprising a shell, a plurality of tubes extending transversely of said shell and through which a fluid may flow recurrently in consecutive alternate directions throughout the length of the shell,

means for creating a flow of another fluid lengthwise of the shell and in a general direction normal to the surface of the tubes, and uniformly perforate baflle structures interposed at intervals throughout the shell for recurrently varying the velocity ofthe fluid flowing in the shell whereby successive conditions of turbulence will be created by said fluid within the shell and around the tubes.

CARL F. BRAUN. 

